Submitted by: Damagosha Dasa
Srila Prabhupada has several times used the expression-“things equal to one another are equal to each other” which comes from Euclid, a great mathematician and philosopher who lived thousands of years ago in Greece. His theorems have survived the test of time up to today, because they are true. And our Srila Prabhupada used this particular one to show how anything spiritual is equal to any other thing which is also spiritual.This is called the Absolute nature of Transcendence. It is common for people to think that there is some difference between Vaisnavas-that those who are “brahmana Vaisnavas”, or “sudra Vaisnavas” are “different” but in actuality there is no difference in quality.
We will attempt to show some of these facts by this principle.
LA May 7 1970
So this is explained here. This is Vedic mantra. This is the proof, Veda mantra. Why we are attached to Veda mantra? Veda mantra is the proof of everything. Whatever is said in the Vedas, that is fact. Unless you take some axiomatic truth in that way, you cannot make progress. Just like in geometry there are so many axiomatic truths, we have to accept it. “A point has no length, no breadth.” “Things equal to the same thing are equal to one another.” These are axiomatic truths. Similarly the Vedas, they are truth. We have to accept. Just like I’ve given example in my book: The conchshell is the bone of an animal. So Vedic injunction is if you touch the bone of an animal, immediately you become impure and you have to take your bath. But here is a bone which is used in the Deity room. But you cannot argue, “Oh, you said that bone is impure. As soon as you touch it, you become impure. And you are putting into the Deity room?” No argument. You have to accept it. This is Veda. You cannot argue. Similarly, spiritual master’s order, you have to accept. There is no argument. In this way you can make progress.
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Jan 25 1969 letter
Another point is that disciplic succession does not mean one has to be directly a disciple of a particular person. The conclusions which we have tried to explain in our Bhagavad-gita As It Is is the same as those conclusions of Arjuna. Arjuna accepted Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and we also accept the same truthunder the disciplic succession of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Things equal to the same thing are equal to oneanother. This is an axiomatic truth. So there is no difference of opinion of understanding Krishna between ourselves and Arjuna. Another example is that a tree has many branches, and you will find one leaf here and another leaf there.But if you take this leaf and the other leaf and you press them both, you will see that the taste is the same. The taste is the conclusion, and from the taste you can understand that both leaves are from the same tree.
Adi 3.71 purport
In the realm of the Absolute, one plus one equals one, and one minus one equals one. Therefore one should not conceive of a fragment of the Supreme Lord in the material sense. In the spiritual world there is no influence of the material energy or material calculations of fragments.
SB 3.28.15
topmost yoga system 4
Some Conclusions–
Since things equal to the same thing are equal to each other, this means that if we actually understand the Holy Names, then we to some extent understand Krsna and everything “else” because They are all non different, or the exact same thing.
May 19 1975 Melbourne
Prabhupāda: Bhinnā prakṛtiḥ, that is stated, “separated energy.” Material things means separated energy. Just like this tape recorder. When we are not here, they will play the record and I am speaking. That is separated energy. And (when) I am directly speaking, that is non separated energy. So separated energy and non separated energy, they are coming from the same source. The source is the same. Therefore, ultimate issue, the source being all spirit, everything is spirit. But the place where we do not directly perceive God, that is material. And the place where we directly perceive God, that is spiritual. So either separated or connected, God is the only one source of all energies. That is explained there. Bhūmir āpo ‘nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca
In the above conversation SP explains separated energy and non separated energy both come from the same source-Krsna. And where we dont perceive Krsna that is maya or illusory energy and when we do perceive Krsna that is spiritual energy. But ultimately each is coming from one source-God or Krsna.
Krsna Consciousness, be it prasadam, the Holy Name, the Deity, working for Krsna, the temple room floor, tilak,
anything, that is related to Krsna thru direct connection to HIm in service, then we can understand that ALL the rest of these things they are also related with Krsna -since things equal to the same thing(Krsna) are equal to one another-all the Jivas, minute spirit souls, are qualitatively equal to Krsna.